


In the Spider's Web

by 1helluvadarkowl



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, Bad Parenting, Blood and Gore, Crime Fighting, Detectives, Female Pronouns for Grell Sutcliff, Grell won't leave him alone, Investigations, Minor Character Death, Misunderstandings, Multi, Murder, Trans Female Character, Unlucky Sebastian, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23394190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1helluvadarkowl/pseuds/1helluvadarkowl
Summary: Detective Sutcliff comes upon a strange case of murders. Grell decides to investigate, despite her boss' warning. She suspects Sebastian Michaelis, a local bartender, but the situation gets tricky with more victims and bloodier crime scenes.
Relationships: Angelina Dalles| Madame Red & Grell Sutcliff, Claude Faustus & Sebastian Michaelis, Elizabeth Midford/Ciel Phantomhive, Grell Sutcliff & Undertaker, Hannah Annafellows/Claude Faustus, Sebastian Michaelis & Ciel Phantomhive, Sebastian Michaelis & Grell Sutcliff, William T. Spears & Grell Sutcliff
Comments: 12
Kudos: 11





	1. Girl with a dream

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sooo excited to finally show you this story! I've been working on it since last summer and I wrote the parts randomly, whenever I had an idea. Now I have time to put them together and post the first chapter.
> 
> This is a human AU, which takes place in the 21st century. The main focus is on Grell, who is post transition in the present and works as a police officer.
> 
> There will be some violent scenes, so I'll write warnings before those chapters.
> 
> If you have any questions about this AU, feel free to contact me or leave a review. I really like reading opinions on my writing!

Like in every other profession, detectives start from the bottom of the hierarchy. That includes being looked down by the higher ranked officers and getting ridiculous jobs.

Grell Sutcliff was there too, but that didn't take her enthusiasm away.

She grew up in a Christian family, as the youngest child of five in Westminster. Grell was the only one who was born male, but in her early adolescent years she realized, that something wasn't right with the body she was given at birth. To express her true feelings, she grew out her red hair, until it reached past her shoulders. She started borrowing clothes from her sisters and sometimes asked them to do her hair and makeup. They were kind and understood Grell, when she told them, that she was a girl. Feeling accepted and loved by them helped a lot to her. If only she could show the real herself to the World.

One day, she was at home, wearing a lovely red dress, which she got from her eldest sister, Angelina. Grell was peacefully reading a book in the garden, her legs swinging as she sat in a colorful hammock.

Her father finished work earlier that day, than usual. He walked into the garden and noticed his 'son' in girly clothes. He became furious, yelling at Grell and dragging her into the house by the arm. He said many rude things and even wanted to disown his child. Mother tried to calm him, but she couldn't do much. Mr. Sutcliff called Grell a disgrace and that God wouldn't forgive her sin.

She felt horrible, tears running down her face and ruining her makeup, her sisters had spent a long time doing. Was this really unforgivable? Would she go to Hell for this?

In her opinion acting like someone she wasn't, was surely worse than burning in Hell. She would rather spend her life happily, even if it meant damnation after her death.

Weeks passed and Grell's father still wasn't in speaking terms with her. It hurt, but she knew, that he'd eventually forgive her and try to accept her for who she was. The real Grell, not someone, who pretended to be a boy, just to make her dad happy. No, that wasn't her at all.

Her mother was a bit concerned at first, then she became more and more supporting. She started using female pronouns for her and called Grell her daughter. Being loved and accepted by nearly all of her family members was such a nice and heartwarming feeling.

After her fourteenth birthday, Grell came out to her friends and classmates, who reacted positively and congratulated the redhead for finding her true self. A few months later, she started transitioning. All was going well and she felt more and more herself, as time went on.

The second thing she managed to make her family freak out over, was finding herself a profession. All her sisters knew, what their future jobs were going to be, except her. She had no idea until her last year in high school. That was when a very reckless idea came to her mind.

As small children, the Sutcliff girls were often told stories about their family members. Many of Grell's favorites were about her paternal grandfather, Thomas Sutcliff. He was an investigator, who also fought in World War II. His life was full of adventures and mystery.

Grandpa Thomas helped the Queen and visited many foreign countries. On his journey to India, he rode real elephants and was given a lucky charm by a beautiful princess. The small object was one of his most precious treasures, that he always had in his pocket.

He met his wife in England and they had three children. In his forties, he built a reputation for himself with his detective work and bravery.

Thomas was asked to work on a serious case of murders and he slowly became obsessed with it. His mind was racing every day and night, not letting him rest. One day, he found the group responsible for the crimes and got them all locked up. He couldn't be satisfied with his accomplishment for long. Months later, the tragedy struck and he was found dead on the way home. The assassin was never found and the case remained unsolved. His whole family was mourning him.

That is why everyone freaked out, when Grell said, she wanted to be an investigator.

Her mother gave her a long speech about the dangers of the profession. Her sisters came up with other job suggestions, that were less dangerous. Those included fashion designer, teacher and nurse. Grell didn't really prefer either. Her father was mostly okay with it.

Studies were easy for her, getting one of the best scores in her class. The practical and combat training went even better. Grell could fight with strength and she was fast as lighting. She wasn't afraid to show her talent.

After graduation, she got a job at the City of London Police, quickly stepping up the ladder and earning the Director's trust and friendship. The other colleagues treated her equally.

As a young investigator, Grell was given some interesting cases to solve, but she hoped it would change with time.

The case she was currently working on, was the theft of a valuable statue. It was stolen three days earlier from the garden of a wealthy man, called Aleistor Chamber.

Mr. Chamber was a good friend of Director Spears, so Grell was assigned to find the pricy object as soon as possible. At first, it all seemed normal, only the man was a bit eccentric.

He was on the verge of tears, when the redhead asked him to describe the statue. He told her, it was a white marble sculpture of a naked lady, holding a vase in ancient Greek style. It also had small gold painted details.

It was too posh for her taste, but it didn't matter.

"Miss, you have to find the statue as quickly as you can!" Mr. Chamber cried, holding onto Grell's shoulder for some reason other than making her feel uncomfortable. "It's like my heart was stolen with it, too!" He put his hand on his chest. "I can't feel the beat anyone!"

"Sir! Please calm down and let me do my job!" The man was slowly getting on her nerves, but she had to behave, unless she wanted to lose Director Spears' trust. She sighed, barely audible and started searching for clues in and around the mansion. She only found some questionable items, although she was told in advance not to interfere with Mr. Chamber's business. So Spears was okay with his friend storing different kinds of drugs in small amounts in the estate. Interesting.

Grell also came across some things, she wouldn't like to name and certainly would be better to forget about.

The only place she hasn't checked was the huge swimming pool in the back garden. Maybe she would find something there. Mr. Chamber followed her around, like a shadow the whole time and asked strange questions to make her job even harder.

Grell was standing at the side of the pool, observing the bottom with her sharp green eyes, Chamber a couple of steps next to her. She noticed something gold shine at the far side.

The object seemed big enough to be the statue, but how should she take it out of the water? It must have been too heavy to simply fish it out. Grell had to get into the pool. She made a mental note to ask Director Spears later to give her a pay raise only because of this case. She was getting grey hairs from dealing with this weirdo.

The detective emptied the pockets of her uniform and took off her shoes, her coat and her shirt. Mr. Chamber glanced at her with a sly smile.

"Are you planning to go for a swim? May I join you, Miss?" Grell felt the man's eyes on her body and it was more than embarrassing. Also, that satisfied expression made her freak out. What a creep!

She didn't answer. With a graceful move, Grell dived into the water and swam to the other side. Just as she thought, the thing she saw was indeed the statue. It wasn't heavy, so she simply lifted it up and took it to the surface. Careful not to break it, she put it to the side of the pool, then climbed out.

"Bravo! Bravo, Miss!" She heard Mr. Chamber cheering and one of the staff members ran up to her with a towel in his hands.

Grell finally could close this ridiculous case and go home. The only thing she didn't consider, was the weather. Although the water was warm, the air was a bit chilly and breezy for swimming. She didn't really care, though. The redhead gathered her belongings and said goodbye to the eccentric man. She'd write the report later, after she changed her wet clothes.

Grell was too happy to sit in her car, setting the temperature to dry herself. Back at the police department, she quickly put on some spare clothes and blow dried her waist-length crimson hair. Perhaps she'd need to go to the hairdresser soon to cut it a bit.

A few minutes later, Director William T. Spears walked into her office. Everyone respected him or at least was afraid of him. The man was only in his thirties, although he accomplished the highest rank in the London department in just a few years. None of the officers dared to argue with him. He was as straight as a ruler and his black eyes were too intimidating to maintain eye contact for long.

To Grell, he was a sweetheart. The young woman wasn't afraid of Spears, she thought about him as a friend rather than her boss. In the first few months, she had to get used to him, then she learned how to deal with him. Not many colleagues really knew, the strict man had a heart, but Grell managed to find it somehow.

"Congratulations Sutcliff! I knew I could count on you." The director praised her with a slight smile on his face. He only smiled on special occasions.

"Thanks, boss!" Grell grinned. "But the next time Mr. Chamber needs our assistance, please call Slingby. He's better at handling weird people."

"I assume that was a joke." William adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, like he always did. Judged by his monotonous tone, he didn't really find it funny.

Grell chuckled. "Indeed it was." (No, it wasn't.) Sometimes she felt like, she was wasting her time and energy on ridiculous cases. She seriously wondered, when they'd assign her to rescue a cat from a damn tree.

She was planning to tell her honest opinion to the director, even if it meant offending him. Someday, Grell'd get to choose more important cases to solve.


	2. Grell's bizarre adventure

The week passed with the same boring cases, Grell has always been assigned to. After filling the documents about another stolen bike, she came up with a rather unusual idea to get more challenging jobs. She remembered once going to a hospital with one of her older colleagues to chat with a really special someone. It was years ago, so Grell wasn't sure, she would find the person there.

She dug up one of the oldest folders in her office. The young detective was surprised, she even had one copy of those files, although it wasn't her case. It was more like an accomplishment, the first assignment she had collaborated on.

Grell put her hand on the folder and slowly opened it. She remembered the case, like it happened yesterday. The documents were about a young woman, who had gone missing on a cold February evening. After finding her body, the old detective and Grell took it to a mortician, who was more like an expert in mysterious deaths. Grell wasn't sure.

The man was a genius at his job and told the two officers right away, what the cause of death was, but also found new clues, they hadn't noticed on the body. It was clearly a murder attempt, although a failed one. The real cause of death was the cold weather.

Grell turned a page to see, if she could find the mortician's name somewhere. She slowly read all of the files and was starting to give up hope, when a small business card fell out from the stack of papers. It landed on the floor. The redhead stared at it for a few seconds. A skull was printed in the centre of the card and it looked like something straight from a horror film. Nevertheless, she picked it up. There wasn't an actual name written on it, only an address and a nickname: Undertaker.

How unusual and rather childish, Grell thought. Despite the strangeness of the situation, she decided to visit this Undertaker lad.

The address was only an hour away from the police department, in a part of the city, which was infamous for more crime and accidents. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all. Grell put a taser and her pistol on her belt before getting out of the car. She was wearing regular clothes instead of an uniform. A black turtleneck sweater with a red leather jacket on and dark jeans. Her crimson hair was gathered in a high ponytail. She felt more confident when wearing shoes, that had heels. Today Grell chose a pair of sneakers with built in heels, one of her favorites for everyday wearing.

She hid the weapons under the leather jacket and locked her car, praying no one steals or makes any damage to it, while she's chatting with this Undertaker.

The redhead walked a bit, before she found the address. It was a little shop, which looked old and abandoned. The only sign indicating it was open was a small source of light from inside. Grell hesitantly stepped on the doormat and knocked on the door. No answer came from inside. After waiting for a few seconds, she decided to go and look for Undertaker in the small building. After all, she came here with a purpose, she reminded herself.

The door opened with a loud creak, making her worried, perhaps she had broken it. She cautiously let go of the doorknob, relieved that it didn't fall out.

"Hello! Is anyone here?" Grell demanded, as she glanced around in the dark room. The air was cold and smelly. The corners were full of spider webs.

"This place really needs cleaning." She spoke to herself, stumbling on a... coffin? And it was open! Grell fell into the cushioned box face-first. Surprisingly, it was kind of soft and silky, so she didn't get hurt at all, but still, it was beyond bizarre. She quickly got back on her feet.

"Seems like I have a visitor." A raspy voice said from another room in the back. "Better check them."

Grell was ready to use the taser, if necessary. As the sound of footsteps got closer, she noticed a tall figure dressed in black robes and a top hat.

"Welcome, my Lady!" The man greeted her with a weird laugh, holding out his right hand. He had extremely long black nails and several rings on his slender fingers. The upper half of his face was covered by almost white bangs. The rest of his hair hung freely around him, even longer than the woman's. "What do you think about that coffin? Was it to your liking?"

So he noticed her little accident. How awkward, Grell thought. She just stood there, too astonished to react. She wouldn't say the man was scary, but he was creeping her out for some reason. Also, the place was mysterious enough to give her goosebumps.

"Um, I'm looking for Undertaker." The detective managed to blurt out. The eccentric man in front of him gave her a broad smile, nearly all of his even, white teeth showing.

At first glance, Grell thought he was a lot older than her, but after seeing his perfect teeth, he seemed a lot younger, maybe thirties.

"I'm at your service. How may I assist you?" He said with yet another weird chuckle, bowing. Although the woman couldn't see his eyes at all, she felt his gaze on her face.

"My name is Grell Sutcliff. I assume we have met before." She started, but paused when Undertaker grinned like a Cheshire Cat.

"That's why you look so familiar, little Miss Sutcliff. Are you perhaps related to Angelina Sutcliff?" He inquired, stepping closer to Grell.

Well, that was unexpected. So this lad knew Anne from somewhere.

"She's my sister. And please don't call me little." The redhead pouted, unintentionally imitating a child. She had learnt this behavior, when she was a toddler. Being the youngest in a family of five sisters made her a bit spoiled.

"Ah, I see! And how is she?" Undertaker asked with the same creepy grin. Whenever he burst out laughing, he started rocking back and forth.

"She's fine. She got married last year, but howcome you know her?" Grell gave him a questioning glare.

"A long long time ago she was my assistant in Saint Margaret Hospital. Angelina was an excellent helper." Undertaker smiled again. This time it was different from the mad look and snicker. It was more like he was thinking back to some fond memories.

Grell wondered why Anne never mentioned this crazy old man to her. She made a mental note to ask her next time they meet.

"So that means you're a doctor, right?" The redhead inquired. She tried so hard to read the man's facial expressions and body language, but even deciding whether he was telling the truth was challenging. Mainly, because half of his face was covered and his strange behavior also added to it. Now this situation was a real challenge, worth of writing a mystery novel or rather a horror film. Grell was more than satisfied with her plan. No more boring cases, when Undertaker was involved!

"Not exactly. These days I only have clients, who are less alive than the rest, if you know what I mean." Snickering, he put the sleeve of his robe in front of his mouth. After a few laughs, he stepped to the door in the back. "Would you like to take a look around, Miss?" He indicated that the woman follow him.

The small door led to a flight of stairs, that took them below ground level. They arrived to a bigger room with the sickening scent of antiseptic and formaldehyde. It was dark and there were shelves and lockers along the walls and in the middle. The place looked like a maze and Grell didn't exactly know how large it was, until Undertaker turned the lights on. The room lit up with the familiar click of fluorescent lamps. It was nearly the size of a football pitch with more shelves, than the woman could count. She didn't dare ask what they contained, though.

The man held out his right hand for the redhead with a grin. "It would be a shame if such a beautiful rose got lost here. I suggest you follow me."

After a few seconds of hesitation, Grell accepted the offered hand, but didn't let her guard down. It took a long time to gain her trust and she was a cautious person most of the time. If the old man tried to trick her, she would defend herself.

His hand was surprisingly warm and smooth despite how bony it seemed. Although those black nails were still creepy.

They had been walking for a good five minutes, when Undertaker finally stopped. "This is my workplace," He gestured to an examination table with a lamp above it. "and this is my newest client." There was a body on the table covered by a sheet. Grell could only make out certain parts of it, but she noticed, it wasn't the body of a grown up.

"Alas, he was such a young boy, yet death took him!" Undertaker said in a sad tone.

"My condolences." Was all Grell could say in the situation. She knew how much it hurt, when a child passed away. Life could be cruel and unfair, but all people could do was to move on and always remember their deceased loved ones.

"To make things worse, he had such a suspicious and merciless death. There are some dangerous lads out there!" Undertaker warned her with a serious expression, his eyes showing for the first time. Grell gasped in shock, when that pair of blood red eyes stared right into hers. She tried to pretend not to be surprised, but the man already noticed.

"My dear! Don't be scared! I'm not one of those people." He swept his hair to the sides, this time his full face uncovered. He put his hand on Grell's head and patted her hair, like he was comforting a child.

The detective couldn't take her eyes off of his face. She discovered a long scar running across the middle of his face, from the left side of his forehead to his right cheek. Even his left eye was in the scar's line. It must have been an old injury, because it looked well-healed, but still easy to notice. In spite of that, he was really handsome. Grell felt a bit embarrassed and confused, so she decided to continue the discussion about this man's job.

"I don't intend to be rude, but what does suspicious mean, precisely?" She stepped away from Undertaker's hand and quickly fixed her bangs.

"Oh, the poor soul was brutally murdered. His eyes were missing and he's all cut up. To tell you the truth, he's not the only one, who got here in such condition." The white haired man explained. Grell could sense he was uneasy. Maybe he regretted telling the woman about these horrible murders, or it was the fact, that this kind of information was confidential.

"What? How many people were killed with the same method?" The question slipped out of her mouth. She was a detective, after all. "Are there official records about these murders?" Grell took her detective badge out of the pocket of her jacket and held it up to Undertaker, in case he had forgotten she was a police officer. 

The man's expression turned into a bitter smile, almost like he was pitying her. "Sadly there is." Turning around, he opened a drawer. He fetched a folder and slowly handed it to Grell. Before she could touch it, he pulled his hands back, holding the stack of papers to his chest.

"Before you accept it, listen to my warning." He said on a low voice. The woman nodded.

"This is nothing like the other cases. I'm afraid it will break you. How sad it would be to lose everything you have, little Miss Sutcliff!" Undertaker sighed, his red eyes fixed on the folder in his hands.

Grell didn't mention disliking being called little this time. Her mind was too occupied by the other things the eccentric man said.

"It's nice that you care for me, even if we are almost strangers, but isn't all this a bit exaggerated?" Grell asked, waiting for the other's reaction. She wasn't the type of person, who got scared easily and she considered herself mentally strong. "It is my job to work on these cases and find the culprits."

"I'm aware of this and I really appreciate your bravery. You are a talented young lady."

"Then can I take a look at that file?" She asked with a reassuring smile, but the man was still holding the folder far from her reach.

Undertaker lowered his head, his bangs covering his face yet again. "As you wish." He whispered as he handed it to her. "I will escort you back to the exit."

"Thank you!" Grell said and they started walking. On the way, neither of them spoke, only the sounds of the fluorescent lamps broke the silence sometimes.

Undertaker stopped in front of the door and opened it for the redhead, like a true gentleman. He still looked cheerless, no laughter leaving his mouth since giving away the folder.

Before saying goodbye, Grell turned back. "Can I ask what your real name is?"

The white haired man seemed surprised by the sudden question. He answered nevertheless. "I have left my name behind a long time ago, but I will make an exception this time. Call me Adrian." He took off his top hat and bowed, a small grin creeping to his face.

"Thanks for everything, Adrian! See you later!" She said with a subtle wave and was on her way to her car.

"I hope so, little Miss Sutcliff." The man mumbled, standing still in front of the door. "I hope so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you like this story so far! :)  
> Please leave a review.


	3. His Daughter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> I'm here with another late update that will (probably) break your heart. I'm sorry! :(  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story so far.

After getting back to the police department, Grell comfortably sat down in front of her desk with a warm cup of tea. She couldn't stop thinking about all the information Undertaker had shared with her. She wasn't stressed, although she felt uneasy. Those murders were extremely cruel and merciless and she was going to be the one to find the monster behind the slaughter. That was the plan, at least.

She read through the files the mortician gave her and gathered the details into a new folder on her computer. The detective also searched for information in the police database. It was horrible to learn about all five cases associated with the same serial killer. All victims were between the ages of 15 and 18, being only boys. The murderer earned the name Arachne, because of their methods, which were web-like cuts all over the bodies. They also had a grotesque habit of taking out the eyes. Although the police had never unearthed any of them.

It was long after dark outside, when Grell finally came across something valuable. One of the first records contained a photo from a security camera, where a tall, lean man could be seen in dark clothes with one of the victims. The man had black hair, but the image was too blurry to identify his face. The detective stared at the image for a few seconds, trying to memorize the face.

She was startled back to reality, when the phone beside her suddenly started ringing. The redhead almost fell off her chair, but managed to grab the side of the desk to steady herself. Why was her phone so damn loud?

Grell picked it up, glancing at the cracked screen. It was her second youngest sister, Mary. She eventually took the call before it would go to voicemail.

"Hi Grell! Sorry to bother you so late, but it's important." Her voice was shaky and filled with worry. Grell immediately sensed something wasn't right and it gave her anxiety.

"It's okay. I wasn't sleeping anyways." She tried to calm herself, or at least pretended to be, not to make Mary upset. Her sister was the emotional type, whose mood could easily be affected by others.

"It's about dad. He wasn't feeling well, so we took him to the hospital. The doctors told us he's in worse condition because of his age, but they don't exactly know what his illness is. I don't understand! Dad is such a healthy person." Mary was sobbing as she tried to inform her little sister. 

Grell listened to her voice through the phone, waiting for Mary to say something, but only crying followed.

Despite the conflicts at her younger age with her father, (At one point he literally considered disowning her, simply because she wasn't going to pretend to be 'normal', his perfect son. Those were some unpleasant memories.) Grell deeply cared about her old man and she wanted to be there for him. She was afraid, if she didn't visit him now, there would be no other time to see dad again. Refusing to go there would torment her with regret for the rest of her life.

"I'm so sorry! I'll be there in half an hour." Grell reassured Mary.

"Thank you! Dad will be really happy to see you again." She answered, glad to hear her sister's decision.

Grell sighed after they said goodbye to each other and started putting away the folders on her desk. Her office was a total mess, but now there were more important things to worry about. She reluctantly put everything in a drawer and closed it with a key. After turning off her computer, she put on her leather jacket and hurried to her car.

On the way to the hospital, the redhead listened to the radio, although most of the songs played weren't her taste. Nevertheless, she needed something to distract herself from the depressing thoughts in her mind.

She found a parking space fairly close to the five storey building and persuaded herself to get moving. Grell managed to reach the long sidewalk, which led to the entrance, but she was too occupied to notice the man running towards her at full speed. Mainly it was his fault, though.

The tall, dark haired young man bumped into Grell with so much force, that both of them fell to the ground.

"Ouch! Watch where you're running, idiot!" The woman put her hand on her forehead. She must have hit it in the man's shoulder, because her head started to hurt. She was lucky her bangs would helpfully hide the red bruise.

"I deeply apologize for my carelessness!" The raven haired man said with a posh British accent, offering his hand to help Grell up. He was wearing a shirt and a black leather jacket on it. Somehow he looked suspicious, although the detective couldn't figure out why.

"I can stand up on my own, thanks." The woman remarked with a scowl and dusted off her jeans after getting back on her feet. Fortunately the sidewalk wasn't muddy.

The man pulled his hand back and scanned the area, almost like he was worried, someone might saw him. His eyes were brown with a hint of red in them. This feature gave him a mysterious appearance, not to mention his characteristic jawline and alabaster skin.

A few seconds later he simply decided to run away without a word.

"What the hell is wrong with this guy?" Grell mumbled, still angry with the suspicious stranger. She took another step towards the hospital and that was, when she noticed a black wallet in the grass. She thought the dark haired man must have dropped it while bumping into her, so she picked it up and quickly turned around.

"Hey Mister! You dropped your wallet!" Grell exclaimed, but the man was long gone. This guy was indeed a bloody fool.

There was no way she'd hurry after him to give it back, so she simply put it in her pocket and decided to deal with it the next day.

Grell walked into the huge modern building and asked the old lady at the reception desk which room her father was in. In a few minutes she was there, in front of the door holding back a breath. Finally after more than a year, she was going to see her dad. The circumstances of the meeting left a bitter feeling. The redhead didn't want to think about what if this was the last chance.

She put her hand on the cold metal handle. She was about to open the door, when someone lightly touched her shoulder from behind. Grell flinched at the sudden contact and turned around.

"Sorry to startle you sis. I'm glad you decided to come." Anne greeted her with a warm smile and hugged her little sister. Her embrace was comforting, although Grell felt tears starting to gather in her eyes.

The younger woman smiled back when they parted, to show she was fine. "How is dad?" She inquired.

"He was unconscious for two hours, but now he's awake and is talking to us. He started telling us stories about his childhood." Anne said with a subtle laugh. Her eyes were red from crying, although she didn't stop smiling at Grell. "Let's go inside!" Anne led her sister into the hospital room.

The first thing Grell noticed was, that all her sisters were already there, either sitting at the side of the bed or standing close to it. Her father was in the centre, but he looked nothing like before. His face was pale and he had dark circles under his once so bright and full of life green eyes. All the color was gone from his hair, too. Was this what death looked like, Grell wondered. She put on a fake smile not to make her family sad.

"My youngest child. Come here!" Her father called as he noticed Grell next to Anne. He shakily held out his bony hand for her.

The youngest woman took some hesitant steps to the bed, carefully taking the fragile hand in hers. It was so frightening how much her dad had changed in such a short time. When they last met, he looked healthy and a lot younger. What exactly was this mysterious illness, that apparently drained life and color from him, only leaving a grey shell.

"I don't know how much time I have left, so I want to say goodbye to all of you and also give you advice." He coughed, clutching his chest in pain. Grell felt tears in her eyes again and noticed her mother was already crying, wiping her face with a tissue.

"Please don't say that! You will be fine." Ever the optimist, Mary cried as she leaned closer to the old man in the bed. Grell couldn't speak at all, she couldn't find right and encouraging words. Ordinary, or not to mention, depressing words were unacceptable to her father, anyways.

"I'd like to talk to Grell alone." Dad's words broke the long silence and left all of them surprised, especially Grell herself. Of course, they respected his wish and walked out of the room.

The small space suddenly seemed a lot bigger and scarier. The machines connected to her father were too loud due to the quietness.

He slowly turned his head and fixed his gaze on Grell's face. "I know I wasn't always a good father to you and I deeply regret it. I also know, that some words won't change the mistakes I've made during those years." He stated with a bitter smile.

"Dad, you don't have to feel bad because of that. You already apologized, don't you remember?" The redhead asked, not caring anymore about the tears running down her face and falling to her lap. She'd given up on pretending to be strong a long time ago, screw that!

"I'm proud of you, my daughter." The man lightly squeezed Grell's hand. That was the moment she completely lost control over her bottled up emotions and burst into sobbing. Father finally acknowledged her as his DAUGHTER! He accepted her for who she really was! It was unbelievable at first, but Grell was sure she heard it right.

She needed minutes to get herself together again, but her dad only waited patiently, holding her hand for comfort. When the young woman wiped her eyes and nodded, he continued.

"I know it might sound strange, but I have something to give you." The old man opened the small drawer next to his bed with a shaky move and took a small object in his palm. He put it into Grell's hand. The detective examined it curiously. It was a crystal pendant on a chain.

"Do you recognize this?" The grey haired man asked. Grell had never seen the object before, although she had an idea what it might be.

"It's grandpa Thomas' lucky charm. I remember the stories you told us when we were kids." A smile crept to her face at the fond memories. Grell loved listening to the adventures her grandfather had. If only he could have told them in person!

"Indeed it is, and I'd like to trust you with it. May it bring you fortune and success in your investigations." He gave her a tired, but satisfied smile.

"Thank you. I will keep it with me." Grell put the necklace on and hid it under her shirt to keep it safe. She knew how important the pendant was not only to her father, but also her grandpa and she felt honored to inherit it.

"Please call in the others." The old man requested. As he saw the heartbroken expression on the redhead's face, he added. "And never stop smiling whatever happens." He seemed exhausted from speaking, almost like he'd go to sleep any moment.

Grell stood up from the side of the bedridden man and took a few steps towards the door. Her vision was too blurry from the fresh tears welled up in her eyes. She was sure, she hadn't cried this much for a long time.

All of the family members came back and gathered around the ill man, who slowly fell asleep with a light smile on his calm face. They knew the painful truth, that he'd never open his eyes again.


	4. One step closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grell has no chill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow an early update! And the next chapter is also almost ready. I'll post it soon. :D

Grell hadn't slept much, although she knew well she had to go to work the next morning. As she sat down with a mug of coffee in hand, she noticed the wallet on her desk, she found the day before. Of course, it had to be dealt with sooner or later. She made up her mind to open it, not only because it would help finding its owner, but also because the man was acting too suspicious.

The neat black leather wallet was thin and there wasn't much money in it, only some cards and pieces of folded up paper. Grell didn't intend to read them, she just wanted to find an ID card. There it was in a small pocket next to the coins. She fished it out to take a closer look.

"Sebastian Michaelis." Grell read the name aloud.

The detective was a curious person, who frequently relied on her senses. She had a strange feeling, whenever something was fishy and this case was no different.

Grell typed the name into the police search engine, getting a bit excited. She was disappointed to find out, the man was only involved in minor crimes during the last five years. He was almost arrested two times due to selling different drugs, but there wasn't enough evidence against him. There were also some cases with vandalism and street fights.

According to the data, he was currently working at a bar in town.

As the woman dug deeper into Michaelis' data, she realized there wasn't anything about him before he moved to London five years ago. That was more than suspicious. His birthplace or the names of other family members were all missing from the file. Like the man didn't even exist before. Had he been trying to start a new life in England or running from his past? Cases like these only occurred, when a person had a very messed up past.

"You are quite an interesting man." She mumbled to herself, while examining the black and white photo of Michaelis on the computer screen. The man had a handsome face with characteristic bone structure. His hair was black as a raven's feathers and his eyes were dark. Supposedly brown. There was something in those eyes, something unsettling and mischievous.

"Sutcliff, are you in there?" She heard Director Spears' serious voice after knocking on her door. The redhead quickly turned off the computer screen and put the wallet's content out of sight.

"Come in." She didn't have to say it twice. William opened the door with his usual stern expression, taking a few steps towards Grell and occupying the other chair in front of her. A loud sigh left his mouth as he adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his straight nose. He seemed even more exhausted and fed up, than usual. This gave the young woman anxiety. Was he going to tell her off for something, she wondered.

"A young man has been reported missing. He was last seen three days ago with his friends at a party. They will be here for interrogation soon." William informed her and put a folder in front of the redhead. "This contains most of the information on Alois Trancy."

Grell didn't dare say, she was already working on a different investigation, because Director Spears was too strict to everyone, but mainly because he respected her and Grell really appreciated it, when he visited her with new assignments. The middle-aged man had high hopes for her, asking for her collaboration whenever there was need for it.

"I see." Grell quickly read through the files, glancing up at her boss. She noticed there were more grey hairs in his neatly combed black hair, especially at the sides. He also had dark circles under his sharp black eyes. Despite the tiredness, he still kept his straight posture and strict behavior.

"Is everything all right? I mean, how are you?" She asked, concerned about her boss' wellbeing. The question seemingly wasn't to Spears' liking judged by the face he made.

"As far as I know I'm fine, just tired of Knox's nonsense." He remarked with a sigh, rubbing his forehead.

"What did the kid do this time?" Grell inquired, trying to sound sympathetic rather than burst out laughing. Knox was one of the youngest interns at the department and well, he was a little too jumpy sometimes. The 19 year-old man liked to have fun and flirt with any woman, he laid his eyes on. His tendencies usually gave Director Spears a headache, so the boss tried to avoid him, if possible. On the other hand, Grell had nothing against the guy. In fact, she liked him.

"He did something with the printer and apparently even a mechanic can't fix it. The repair costs will be reduced from his monthly payment." William stated threateningly.

"But Knox doesn't even get paid, it's an internship." The woman had to hold back a laugh. Poor William was so done with the shit going on at this place, even though it was only morning. She wondered how he would tolerate the rest of his day.

"I don't care. Interrogate those kids and don't interfere with my business!" The Director ordered and left the office with a frown on his face. Grell was really curious why he was suddenly so irritated, although he was nice to her most of the time.

While waiting for the teenagers, she sent the wallet to the lost and found section, so the owner would be informed to take it. That was dealt with, although she still intended to investigate Michaelis and the crimes he was involved in.

Half an hour later, three young people entered the detective's office. One of them was a blonde haired girl with green eyes and a shy smile on her pretty face. She was holding onto the arm of a young man, probably her boyfriend, who was only a few inches taller than her. He had greyish blue hair and big blue eyes, making him appear younger, than his actual age. He flashed a smug grin, full of confidence even in a situation like this. The third teen was a blond boy, standing on the other side of the smug guy, not as collected as his friends. He looked upset, his hands shaking from excitement.

"Good morning! Please take a seat." Grell gestured to the chairs with a comforting smile and sat back in her chair at the other side of the table.

"Good morning!" The two blonde teens politely greeted her, but the smug one just shrugged and occupied the chair in the middle, like he owned the place. He crossed his legs and leaned back a bit. Grell wondered when he would order a drink or light a cigarette. She tried not to pay attention to his behavior, focusing on her work instead.

"Well, let's start then." The redhead put her hands on the table with a subtle smile. "My name is Grell Sutcliff. Could you please introduce yourselves?"

The boy in the middle was the first to answer. "My name is Ciel Phantomhive." He said with a posh British accent, that sounded like he came straight from the Victorian era. He was definitely a descendant of a noble family and quite proud of that.

"Elizabeth Midford." The girl spoke on a high voice, clinging to Ciel's arm again. Grell didn't exactly understand why she did that. Perhaps she sought protection or she simply wanted to look vulnerable for some reason.

"And I am Finnian Turner." The other boy introduced himself, his turquoise eyes fixed on the desk in front of him, only glancing up for a few moments. He must have been the youngest out of the three teenagers.

"You have been summoned here, because your friend, Alois Trancy was reported missing. You and Alois went to a party together last Friday. Is that correct?" She directed the question to all of them, expecting the blue haired boy to answer first.

"Yes it is." Phantomhive confirmed.

"Can you tell me when the last time you saw him was? It would also be helpful, if you knew what he said, he'd go to or with whom he left the party." Grell inquired, using her computer to take notes.

After a short silence Elizabeth looked at Ciel, like she was asking for permission to speak. That was a bit suspicious. Then she started summarizing what happened. "Ciel invited some people to his house to have fun, including Alois, who is a good friend of us. It wasn't a big party, just some classmates and others. At around eleven, Alois told us he'd meet a friend of his and just left alone."

"Do you know this friend of Alois or have you heard anything about them?" The detective asked, hoping to hear some valuable information.

"Alois said he met him online, but they never saw each other in person before. He was really happy and was on his phone all the time, texting this guy." Ciel stated, uncrossing his legs to find a more comfortable position. He was squirming a lot, like he was feeling uneasy.

"Has he told you anything about his name, age, profession, perhaps showed you a photo?" Grell needed data on this person. It was clear as day, he had a connection to the disappearance of Alois Trancy. Not to mention online 'friends' could be dangerous and also hard to track down. People could easily become the victims of crimes through meeting strangers from social media.

Finnian made a face, that indicated he was thinking hard to call up something. "Well, I don't know how much this might help, but he told me he was a tall, hot guy and a bit older than him." The blond boy remarked, his cheeks turning red from embarrassment. Ciel shot him a sharp look.

"We can work with that, thanks!" Grell praised him with a kind expression. "You can go now, but please contact me immediately, if you have news about your friend. Remember, you can even save his life with valuable information!" The detective told them with determination in her voice.

The teenagers were about to go, when the blue haired guy turned back, leaving the others on the corridor. He walked back to the woman and stopped beside her with a serious face, nothing like the smug grin before.

"Miss Sutcliff, I need to say something!"

Grell was confused, but glad he cared about Alois, after all. At first, the kid seemingly wasn't moved by the case and acted like he didn't give a damn.

"Go on." The redhead gave him an encouraging smile.

"Alois has low self esteem, therefore he trusts people too easily. He also has bipolar disorder, that makes things hard for him and he can act really strange in certain situations. We basically grew up together, so I know many things about him." He paused for a bit. "He met this guy on a dating site and had his head in the clouds since then, not talking to us as much as he used to. When I asked him about his new boyfriend, Alois didn't tell me much. After persuading him to show me a picture he did. The guy is about twenty five and has black hair. That's all I can remember. I hope you will find him soon!" He finished, looking right into Grell's eyes. Were those tears in Ciel's big blue eyes?

"Thank you! You shared very important details. We will do our best, I promise!" The detective reassured him, fighting the urge to pat the young man's shoulder to comfort him.

Leaving the office, the blue haired boy followed his friends. Grell had to admit to herself she judged him too soon, thinking he didn't care about his friend, but she was wrong. Ciel Phantomhive wasn't an arrogant brat after all.

On the other hand, her sixth sense told her something disturbing. Grell's mind began to put things together the following way: "Alois has been missing for three days, plus he's seventeen years old. The Arachne victims were also that age and only males, too. There is one (Only one, damn it!) photo about that bastard in the police database and he happens to be a tall man with black hair! Who has similar appearance, who had an unfortunate encounter with Grell at the hospital, acting like a criminal? Sebastian Michaelis!"

Grell wished her deduction was wrong, because this would mean Alois Trancy was in mortal danger, in the hands of a serial killer! She tried to calm down, although it was nearly impossible at the state she was in. She had to act as soon as she was able to.


	5. Cat and mouse game

The evidence suggested, that Sebastian Michaelis, a local bartender with many minor crimes was responsible. After all, Grell's theory contained the perfect description of his appearance.

Apprehending the guy went the following way. Grell visited the bar, Michaelis was currently working at. A staff member said he was outside, smoking in his break. She kindly thanked them and walked into the dark alley. It wasn't a nice place at all, with rubbish tossed around on the ground and some suspicious boxes lined up along the walls.

Michaelis was there, casually leaning on a box and having a smoke. This time he looked like a typical bad guy, not that his appearance was different from the last time the woman encountered him. He was wearing a black leather jacket with metal chains and a white shirt underneath. Surprisingly, with a black tie. His black hair covered part of his face, as he was tapping on his phone.

He quickly turned, when he noticed the young officer approaching him. Of course, he had to run away, or at least, was trying to. The alley was a dead end, so he wouldn't have much of a chance to get away, or at least Grell thought so.

Michaelis leaped on a wooden box, jumping through the fence. Grell wasn't going to let him go. She ran after him fast, jumping up the same way. She was glad, she wasn't wearing high heels. It would have been more difficult to chase a criminal in them.

On the other side of the fence, was a fortunately closed trashcan. She landed on it, on her butt. Michaelis already got further. Grell swiftly stood up, following the man. She saw him turn to the left. That street was crowded with many people and small shops. Fantastic!

Michaelis tried to get lost in the horde of bystanders, but it didn't take long for Grell to reach him. There wasn't any other option, only to tackle him from behind. Asking him to stop wouldn't have worked anyways. They both fell to the ground, attracting attention. The people's questioning stares always made her laugh a bit.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Michaelis yelled under her. She forcefully pulled one of his arms behind his back and put a handcuff on his wrist. Maybe she was being too rough with him. "Would you stop breaking my arm!" He squirmed, attempting to stand up.

"Let's skip to the part when I ask you some simple question." Grell smugly grinned. She let Michaelis get on his feet, putting the other half of the handcuffs on his other wrist, but held them with an iron grip. He had no chance to get away now.

"I have to go back to work." He gazed at the redhead with puppy eyes, hoping to persuade the officer. It had no effect on her, whatsoever.

"You know, you should have just asked me for a date. The ladies usually send me a message on Facebook. But if you're so straightforward..." He spoke on the way to Grell's car. It was many blocks away.

Grell sighed. "Would you shut up?" She kicked him in the shin. "What makes you think I'm into you?"

"Well, everyone is. Besides you literally tackled me." He grinned at her with a Hollywood actor's perfect smile. Grell had to admit to herself, that Michaelis was truly handsome. Although she'd never let him know. After all, he was a criminal.

"I'm only doing my job, nothing else, so don't take this personally." Finally they were at the car. Grell opened the backseat door for Michaelis and pushed him into the car. This time he didn't resist or complain.

She sat in the driver's seat on the right, checking on the man from the rear view mirror. He was still flashing that annoyingly charming smile of his.

Why does she always have to deal with weirdos?

"So, how long do I have to wear these?" Michaelis waved his cuffed hands, which made the metal rattle.

"Oh, only for a few more hours. Or maybe for the rest of your life." Grell let out an evil laugh. Her prisoner didn't enjoy the joke as much as the woman did.

The black haired man pouted. "Why so mean? They are uncomfortable." He stated on a softer and less confident voice.

"Do you think I care? Darling, I don't give a flying fuck." Grell said, smiling devilishly and decided to end the conversation there. She started the engine, maneuvering the car out of the small parking lot.

On the way, he was surprisingly quiet. They arrived at the police department in less than ten minutes. Grell parked her car in her usual spot close to the many storey building. In her opinion, the place was too dull with its white walls and boring minimalist design.

She got out of the vehicle, not suspecting what Michaelis was up to. The redhead walked to the door to open it. The next thing she noticed was, that the man's wrists weren't cuffed anyone and he jumped out, trying to escape. This would have worked, if the woman wasn't blessed with such fast reflexes. Instead of panicking or getting out of the way, she took the taser out of her pocket with a swift movement and fired it at Michaelis. The poor thing collapsed on the concrete ground face first, twitching and shivering. He made the impression of a fish caught in a net. Grell had to admit she was enjoying the sight a bit too much.

Five minutes later he stood up, his eyes shooting daggers at Grell, who was peacefully sipping coffee from a paper cup, like everything was fine. Michaelis put his hand on his injured forehead. A few drops of blood got on his face from the small wound. What a pity, that his handsome features had to be ruined, all because of his reckless attempt to escape!

"If you're done sulking, can we go in?" She motioned to the white building, giving Michaelis a tissue to clean the blood off his face. She wondered, why people called her rude and aggressive. After all, it was the man's fault, that he fell on his face and not Grell pushing him.

"I don't like you, not even a bit." Michaelis mumbled, as he put the tissue to his forehead.

"You don't have to." Grell smiled, showing her teeth. "I'm not exactly that friendly little secretary type."

When the man was ready, the detective led him into the station. At the entrance, there was a desk with a young, brown haired man cheerfully smiling. He waved at Grell.

"Hello Detective Sutcliff! I see you caught the man, who came in for his wallet last week." He stated, probably not really understanding the situation.

"Hi Officer Humphries! Yes I did." Grell proudly grinned. "But can you please keep it a secret until I interrogate him? Especially from Director Spears." She said on a more serious tone.

"Of course. You can count on me, Miss." He saluted, then started fiddling with some documents.

"Thank you, I have to go now. Have a nice day." She walked down the corridor, pulling Michaelis by the handcuffs, like he was a naughty dog on a leash.

"Why do you want to keep it secret, that you brought me here? What are you planning to do with me?" He enquired as they passed many office doors, which all looked the same.

Grell didn't answer, only quickened her steps. She finally stopped in front of a door, taking a small key out of her pocket and opening it.

"After you." She shoved him into the room. Quickly turning, she closed the door. Grell hopped onto a comfortable looking swivel chair, as she gathered some files from her writing desk. "Take a seat." She glanced at the only chair left in front of the table. It was an old wooden chair, similar to the ones at schools. Michaelis hesitantly walked to it, finally deciding to sit down.

Grell nodded, opening the folder in her hands. "So, where were you on the 3rd and 4th of November, between eleven and one o'clock? I expect you to tell the truth."

The raven haired man crossed his legs while fiddling with the handcuffs. "That's easy. I was at Joker's Club." He chuckled.

"Do you have any evidence, that verifies your statement?" The detective asked, as she made notes in her notebook.

"Of course," He took a small piece of paper out of his leather jacket pocket and handed it to Grell. "Look at the date."

She folded the leaf out, making a disgusted expression. The paper had lipstick marks and a phone number written in cursive letters on it. "What the hell is this?" She angrily tossed it to the desk.

"A bill from that day. If you don't need it, would you give it back? I haven't saved the number yet." He inquired with a smug grin.

Grell felt the urge to punch him and it got stronger and stronger with every passing second. "You are disgusting!" She screamed, slamming her hands on the table.

"You and I both know, that's a lie." Michaelis winked at her.

"You won't get your precious paper back." The woman took a plactic zip lock bag form one of the drawers and put the bill into it. "We will contact the club and watch the security footage of that day. You have to stay at the department, until your alibi is clarified."

"Do you mean I'll be locked up in a cell?" 

"No, you'll be staying at a five star hotel room. What the hell do you think?" Grell raised her voice again. She had only known the man for a few days, yet she already hated him so much. How could he be this annoying and boastful? On top of that, he also acted like he was the most handsome person on Earth. In his dreams!

"Oh right. I'll have to find you a bigger cell, so that your ego can fit into it. I'm afraid we don't have a football pitch-sized room, though." Grell mocked Michaelis and was about to lead him out of her office, when the door swung open. It was her boss, dearest Mr. Spears with his usual gloomy face.

"Honestly, Sutcliff. Why aren't you doing the job you were assigned to? Knox is out in the field alone, waiting for you." He scolded the young detective. Grell raised one eyebrow in surprise.

"I thought you knew about my decision. I'm not a rookie anymore, and I feel like I should work on some more serious cases, not just stolen bikes and stuff like that." Grell was a bit embarrassed, that her boss told her off, but she had to tell him her honest opinion.

William was glaring at Grell with his piercing black eyes, staring right into her soul, (or she felt so. The man could be so intimidating and cold, it freaked everyone out.) before he noticed the other man in the room. His face became scarier than ever. He looked like, he had the intention of murdering Michaelis in the most sadistic way possible.

"We shall continue the discussion after you dealt with your problem." He stated, pacing out of the office and shutting the door with a loud thud.

"Wow! Your boss sure has a stick up his ass." The black haired man laughed, making the handcuffs shake.

"Yes, and it seems like he knows who you are, judged by the face he made." She poked Michaelis with her finger as she declared.

"Who am I?" He asked, confusion audible in his voice. Grell slapped her own forehead in annoyance.

"I thought you had at least one functioning brain cell, but I was wrong. Hitting your head might have made things worse." She sighed. "You are suspected of committing multiple crimes. Most of the information is classified." The redhead glanced at Michaelis, giving him a vague answer.

"Oh, that's no news! Are you referring to the time I was suspected of selling drugs or the street fights?" The man asked, like he was talking about the weather. There was zero shame or regret in his voice and that pissed the detective off even more. The bastard!

"Okay, I have no time for your rambling. Follow me, so we can finally part ways!" Grell told him, grabbing the chains on Michaelis' wrists and pulling him with her. The black haired man almost fell again, but the redhead didn't care. She just wanted to get rid of him as quickly as possible.

After finally putting Michaelis in a cell, she had approximately five minutes to prepare for the discussion with Director Spears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I wrote this chapter first, so I had to change many things after the actual first chapters were finished. (Idk why I did that, though. I like challenges I guess.)  
> I know Sebastian seems a bit out of character but there's a reason for that. I hope you enjoy this story so far and it would mean a lot to me, if you shared your opinion about it.  
> Stay tuned for the next update! ;)


End file.
